Sports field shortage prompts Palo Alto to change reservation rules

Local sports groups may soon be prioritized differently if they want to use public fields like like El Camino Field, which is adjacent to Palo Alto High School. (Photo: Emma Townley-Smith/ Peninsula Press)

A surge over the past decade in Palo Alto’s youth population, along with a proliferation of sports like lacrosse, has put pressure on Palo Alto’s limited public fields and has led to an increase in complaints from recreational groups that don’t have adequate field time.

The problem has prompted Palo Alto’s Parks and Recreation Commission to rework field reservation policies to try to accommodate the growing needs.

There are “enough fields to meet the demands of softball and baseball users, [but] soccer and lacrosse teams are competing for limited field space,” a report released by the commission last month said.

There are about 40 athletic fields brokered by the city, including all those in public parks and owned by the Palo Alto Unified School District. The commission has tried to stretch out the use of these facilities by offering nighttime lighting and replacing grass with hardier turf that can be used more often and in worse weather conditions without sustaining damage. Continue Reading >>